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News

Library begins penny drive

By Alexa Antonuk | October 2

A coin drive for Bender Library kicked off yesterday with the goal of raising $10,000 from campus groups and students to improve the library's offerings, said Peter Brusoe, chair of the Student Working Group of the Friends of the American University Library.

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AU female enrollment up

By Erik Jacobsen and Peggy Wu | October 2

Female enrollment in colleges is up nationwide, including at AU, which has affected dorm life, classroom dynamics and the campus dating scene, according to students. According to the College Board's Web site, in 2005, AU's female to male ratio was 64 percent to 36 percent, with a freshmen class of 1,223 students and an overall total of 5,788 undergraduate students.

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Spring Valley property scheduled for clean-up

By Kyra Smerkanich | September 28

The Army Corps of Engineers plans to pause cleanup of Lot 18 to focus on investigating an AU-owned house site for munitions, said David Taylor, chief of staff to Interim President Neil Kerwin, noting that there are no current plans for demolition of the property.

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National brief: New vaccine may eliminate ear, sinus infections

By Kyra Smerkanich | September 28

U.S. researchers announced they will conduct clinical trials on a vaccine that officials hope will wipe out cases of childhood ear infections and some cases of adult bronchitis, according to CNN. The vaccine, Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae or NTHi, is unique because it does not aim to prevent serious illness, but it attempts to cut down on ear infections, which are considered a nuisance rather than a serious health threat to children, CNN reported.

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Students protest military policy toward gays

By Alyssa Geisler | September 28

Two women, including an AU graduate student, led a group of protesters Tuesday to challenge the government's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy at the Armed Forces Recruitment Center and held a sit-in in the center's lobby after discovering it was closed. Mandy Craig, a second-year graduate student in the School of Public Affairs and University of Maryland sophomore Alexandra Douglas-Barrera led a group of students from D.

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IFC wants two fraternities out

By Samantha Tyrka | September 28

The Inter-Fraternity Council, Office of Greek Life and Office of the Dean of Students have taken measures to disband Epsilon Iota, an unrecognized and unsupervised AU "fraternity" that describes itself as "the bad-ass" alternative. University officials believe that Epsilon Iota poses significant threats to the campus community because it does not follow any sort of bylaws and engages in questionable behavior such as hazing and excessive drinking, according to Danny Kelley, coordinator of Greek life.

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International brief: Japan elects U.S.-friendly P.M.

By Kyra Smerkanich | September 28

Shinzo Abe, a member of the nationalist party, won a majority of votes in both houses of Japanese parliament Sept. 26, making him the youngest prime minister since World War II, according to the Associated Press. Abe, 52, supports a close alliance with the U.

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Hughes 'stars' provide after-hours, weekend tech support to students

By Melissa DeCosmo | September 28

Students looking for tech support on campus during evenings and weekends can now get help from their peers in Hughes Hall. The pilot program, called Peer to Peer Tech Support, will be jointly run by the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Office of Campus Life, the Office of Information Technology and Bender Library.

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Board of trustees approves Sudan divestment

By Jimm Phillips | September 28

The AU board of trustees voted to divest from companies that do business with Sudan in response to the genocide in the nation's Darfur region, according to an AU press release. The resolution, which the board passed at its Sept. 15 meeting, will address the divestment issue in four different ways, according to the press release.

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Distance learning expands on- and off-campus options

By Howard Perlman | September 28

An off-campus, Web-based summertime learning system known as the Distance Education Program is in its third trial year, and the university is still evaluating it to determine whether to incorporate it permanently, said Katya White, senior financial analyst in the Provost's Office.

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Time sheets cause SG controversy

By Cait Douglas | September 28

Speaker of the Undergraduate Senate Ben Murray and Class of 2008 Senator Charlie Biscotto submitted a letter to Student Government Comptroller Robert Donigian Friday requesting time sheets and financial records for members of the SG who were paid over the summer.

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Campus calendar

By Kendra Garstka | September 28

Thursday, Sept. 28 Library Workshop: Choosing Topics and Identifying Sources 4 p.m., Bender Library reference desk This workshop provides an introduction and refresher about basic elements of the research process. For more information, contact (202) 885-3238.

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Schools with few males use football for recruitment

By Erica Goldfine | September 28

Some universities with low male populations have recently added football teams to their athletic rosters in hopes of increasing male enrollment, according to The New York Times, but it's doubtful that something similar will happen at AU, which hasn't had a football team in 35 years.

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Study: business grad students more likely to cheat

By Ali Goldstein | September 28

A recently published study, finding graduate business students more likely to cheat than their academic counterparts, is not an accurate description of AU, said graduate business students and professors who fear its findings could harm future career opportunities.

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Metro brief: Mayor allocates millions for D.C. health needs

By Kyra Smerkanich | September 28

D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams announced Tuesday he will use $245 million in tobacco settlement funds to pay for various District-wide health initiatives, according to The Washington Post. The money will be used for new medical facilities and the expansion of health services in an effort to make health care more accessible for poor residents and to reduce D.

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Distance learning expands on- and off-campus options

By Rebecca Kern | September 28

Yale University will offer free digital videos of some courses on the Internet, as well as transcripts in several languages, to make their school more accessible to the public, according to CNN.com. The 18-month pilot phase of the Open Educational Resources Video Lecture Project is funded by a $755,000 grant from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, according to a Yale press release.

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Campus brief: Search continues for GLBTA Center director

By Brian Kalish | September 28

The Office of Campus Life continues to search for a director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Resource Center, according to a memo from Gail Hanson, vice president of Campus Life. The previous director, Mindy Michels, left the office in February.

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